NutriNibbles-Organic-Health – THE NIBBLE Blog – Adventures In The World Of Fine Foodhttp://blog.thenibble.com
Just another WordPress site
Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:17:26 +0000 en-US
hourly
1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/nutri/index.asp?r=rssNutrihttp://www.thenibble.com/images/ui/NibbleLogoTagBorder_144.gifTHE NIBBLE - Great Food FindsTheNibble-NutriNibbleshttps://feedburner.google.comTHE NIBBLE (tm) NutriNibbles "Organic, Natural &amp; Wellness Foods" -- These articles focus on products that are organic as well as those that are "better for you." While a large number of specialty food producers use all natural ingredients, many use organic ingredients or mostly organic ingredients as well, but are too small to undertake the expense of USDA Organic certification. We'll reference those products here too.TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Emmy’s Organic Coconut Cookieshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheNibble-NutriNibbles/~3/dCl8GFy2olk/
http://blog.thenibble.com/2019/03/08/top-pick-of-the-week-emmys-organic-coconut-cookies/#respondFri, 08 Mar 2019 13:50:50 +0000http://blog.thenibble.com/?p=108886Continue reading "TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Emmy’s Organic Coconut Cookies" →]]>

THE NIBBLE is an omnivore publican. We eat everything. The only differentiator is that it has to be delicious.

With an evolution in consumer eating to more foods that are organic, gluten free, soy free, sustainable, non-GMO and vegan, many tasty products that meet these criteria are now available on store shelves nationwide.

[1] Our mother and grandmother always served olive oil and vinegar in cruets, so people could serve themselves at the table. They’re becoming a thing of the past, as salads come pre-dressed from the kitchen—or as more people use commercial dressings (photo courtesy Flavor For Life).

[2] The easiest switch is to serve EVOO with bread, instead of cholesterol-packed butter. You can add a splash of lemon juice or seasonings to enhance the oil—that’s what commercial bread dippers do (photo THE NIBBLE).

Homemade vinaigrette takes two minutes to make, at a mere fraction of the cost of buying bottled dressing. And no bottled dressing can beat the taste (or the quality of ingredients) of a simple homemade vinaigrette.

Here’s a recipe that uses lemon juice instead of vinegar. It’s more sprightly. You can substitute lime juice, which is a classic Mexican variation.

Homemade Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (ideally Meyer lemon)

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Preparation
Just place all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake to combine. Is so easy: How can you not make your own vinaigrette?

3. SAUTÉ & FRY

It’s not true that you shouldn’t cook with extra virgin olive oil. It’s perfectly suitable for frying, poaching and sautéing.

The accurate statement is that you shouldn’t cook with your $20 bottles of it—save the pricey bottles for salads or drizzling.

Good olive oil will stand up well to high frying temperatures. A general rule of thumb is that the higher the quality of the oil and the fresher it is, the higher the smoke point will be.*

Quality olive oil has a high smoking point upwards of 425°F, well above the ideal temperature for frying food of around 350°F. See the comparison chart below.

In addition to frying eggs in olive oil, EVOO is a great choice for a simple stir-fry.

The chai craze began sweeping across America some 15 years ago. It leaped to the mainstream from Indian restaurants and tea parlors,

The formal name of the tea in Hindi is masala (spiced) chai (tea*, from the Mandarin cha). It originated on the Indian subcontinent.

Americans shortened the term, and chai (CHY) it is. Its spices have been ported to sweets: bonbons, bread pudding, cake and cheesecake, cookies, fudge, marshmallows, muffins; in cocktails; in glazes for chicken and ham; and as a liquid for cooking oatmeal and rice pudding (check out these recipes).

WHAT IS CHAI?

Chai is black tea flavored with aromatic spices and herbs. The recipe is not fixed: Each vendor or home cook picks a proportion and ingredients to taste.

Our current favorite is the concentrate from Oregon Chai because of its flexibility. The concentrate has no milk, allowing choice of fat percentage, lactose-free and plant-based milks. There are sugar-free and caffeine-free options.

As someone who likes calorie-free sweeteners and lactose-free milk, we needed to look no farther…although we’d love an slightly sweet Sugar Free version with less sucralose.

The hack is to change the proportions from 1:1 concentrate to milk to 1/3 concentrate and 2/3 milk.

Oregon Chai’s concentrates include Original plus:

Caffeine Free Concentrate

Salted Caramel Concentrate

Slightly Sweet Concentrate

Spiced Concentrate (a greater level of spice)

Sugar Free Concentrate

Vanilla Concentrate

There are also powdered mixes:

The Original Powdered Mix

Vanilla Powdered Mix

Original Packets

Vanilla Packets

The line is Non-GMO Verified, USDA Certified Organic and Certified Kosher by OU.

The products are shelf-stable, to be refrigerated after opening.

THE EASIEST CUP OF CHAI

Simply open the container and mix equal parts of concentrate and milk. Then, heat it in the microwave or pour it over ice.

Today’s masala chai is a relatively recent creation. The original masala chai is very different from the contemporary recipe.

That first version was an ancient Indian ayurvedic beverage—a cleansing spice tonic that did not include any tea (Camellia sinensis).

When the British began to establish tea plantations in Assam, in 1835, they added milk and sugar to their tea, as they did at home. At the time, tea was too expensive for most Indians and was largely grown for export (this is unfortunately true of other third-world crops, including coffee).

In the early 1900s, the British-owned Indian Tea Association began to promote tea consumption to Indian consumers. Because black tea was still an expensive ingredient, vendors used milk, sugar and spices—the ingredients of today’s masala chai—to create a flavorful drink while keeping costs down.

The drink’s popularity spread throughout India and became even more popular in the 1960s, when mechanized tea production made black tea affordable for the common man.

TEA TRIVIA

After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Coffee takes third place.
________________

There are many quality brands of dairy-free creamers made from nuts and plants. One that we have a weakness for is Califia Farms.

The California-based brand has bent over backwards to create a dairy-free line of products that offers just about everything in plant-based versions. There are:

Nut milks, primarily almond milks with some coconut milks

Coffee creamers and “half and half”

In addition, there are:

Cold brew coffees

Probiotic dairy free yogurts and citrus juices

The line is extensive. For example, in three products alone:

Almond milk in original unsweetened plus 10 flavors

Coffee creamers in original unsweetened plus 3 flavors

Better Half (half and half) in original sweetened, original unsweetened and vanilla

There are also seasonal flavors (mint cocoa, pumpkin, etc.).

In fact, there are so many products that you have to head to CalifiaFarms.com and see them for yourself.

A GREAT PRODUCT LINE

The reason the products are so good are the nuts. The better the almonds, for example, the better the almond milk.

And the curvy bottles always make us smile.

The products are all non-GMO. Everything is made with natural ingredients, with a focus on reduced sugar in products that typically contain them, and with unsweetened products. The line is carrageeenan-free* and certified kosher by OU.

Many Americans seek to add more plant-based products to their diets.

More healthful. No cholesterol, saturated fat or lactose; rich in calcium, vitamins D, E and A; and far fewer calories than dairy milks. Nut milks also have 50% more protein than dairy milks.

Concern for animal welfare. No cows in feedlots here.

Concern for sustainability. Plant-based foods require less water and far less land pollution than animal-based products.

No luck? Email hello@califiafarms.com with the name and address of the retailer you’d like to carry the products.

________________

*Some people avoid the thickener and emulsifier carrageenan. While it is a natural ingredient made from red seaweed, some evidence suggests that carrageenan triggers inflammation and gastrointestinal ulcerations. Here’s more information about it. Califia replaced the carrageenan a different natural thickener, locust bean gum, which is extracted from the seeds of the carob tree.

If you feel like you need butter, substitute a couple of tablespoons of milk, olive oil or yogurt.

2. MUSHROOM MAGIC

If you enjoy mushrooms on a pizza or in a meatloaf, in soups or in salads: Why not everywhere else? Mushrooms add flavorful, low-calorie volume, texture and nutrition to everything from omelets to salads and sautés.

Use any type of mushroom as a bulking agent in meatballs, pasta sauce, stuffing or grain dishes.

Depending on the dish, use anything from chunky slices and dices to food processor-ground mushrooms.

Or you can roast them. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Thinly slice the vegetables with a sharp knife or a mandoline. Toss lightly in olive oil and spices (chile powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, other favorites).

Place on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy. Toss the chips halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Here are two recipes to start you off. Substitute your favorite vegetable in either recipe.

Kitu Super Coffee is a delicious blend of real ingredients for all day energy. It’s sugar free, lactose free, soy free, and gluten free, with 10 grams of protein.

Jordan DeCicco, founder of Kitu, created Super Coffee in his dorm room. As a tired college basketball player seeking refreshment, he found only sugary bottled coffees and energy drinks at his school.

Not wanting the empty sugar calories, he brewed a better-for-you energy blend following the ketogenic diet nutritional approach known. He incorporated healthy fats and protein for fuel, rather than carbs and sugar.

Now a successful brand with national distribution, Super Coffee can be stored at room temperature, but is best enjoyed refrigerated, over ice, or heated up for two minutes in the microwave.

The line is gluten free, GMO free, lactose free, and soy free. While it was designed as a functional food (one with benefits beyond its normal purpose), it is equally attractive to people who drink sweetened bottled coffee but would like it without sugar or dairy.

The main ingredient is organic Columbian coffee, 200mg of natural caffeine per bottle. Others include:

Coconut MCT oil*

Gellan gum (a thickening agent)

Natural flavors

Potassium phosphate†

Sweetener blend of all-natural monk fruit and organic stevia

Whey protein concentrate‡ (lactose free, 10g protein per bottle)

There are four flavors:

Original (unsweetened, no added flavors)

Hazelnut

Mocha

Vanilla

Kitu also makes similarly-enhanced creamers for coffee and tea in Original and Vanilla.

Les Trois Petits Cochons, long revered for its pates and charcuterie, has launched a new line of products: Sous-Vide Egg Bites (photos #2 and #3).

The sous-vide (soo-veed) method of cooking, which has become more prominent in the U.S. over the past 10 years, allows not just for foolproof cooking with no pots to scrub, but yields a tender texture and refined flavor elements.

The 2.5-ounce Bites, made with cage-free eggs are sold individually, ready to heat and eat (or, eat them chilled or at at room temperature). Each Bite has 10g protein, 1g total carbs, 0 sugar.

At just $1.99 each, the Bites are available in four varieties:

Bacon & Swiss

Ham & Espelette

Prosciutto & Gruyère

Spinach & Feta

You can enjoy them for a quick, healthy, breakfast, lunch or snack; but we particularly enjoy them in gourmet mode:

Atop a mesclun salad as a first course (with a Dijon or honey-Dijon vinaigrette), or a more substantial luncheon salad.

As “Bites Benedict,” on a toasted English muffin with bacon or ham. No hollandaise sauce is necessary, but if you want a sauce, consider cheddar cheese sauce, or the same recipe with gruyère.

In a quick egg sandwich.

DISCOVER MORE AT 3PIGS.COM. (That’s a lot shorter URL than TroisPetitsCochons.com, which means three little pigs in French.)

UPTON’S NATURALS: THAI-INSPIRED PASTAS

Upton’s Naturals focuses on meat alternatives made with real, recognizable ingredients. Their latest line of Meal Kits is our favorite: pasta-based mains with Thai-inspired flavors.

Ready after just one minute in the microwave, the new Meal Kits are made from whole-food ingredients like pre-cooked noodles, fresh (never freeze-dried) vegetables and flavorful spices. Each is low in calories and free of cholesterol, GMOs, trans fats and preservatives. Varieties include:

Massaman Curry: While not a pasta, you can serve this curry on top of pasta or rice. A Thai staple, it’s made with potatoes, carrots, green beans, purple rice and ground peanuts.

Pad See Ew: This classic Thai dish is made with rice noodles, carrots, Chinese kale, and tofu topped with sesame seeds.

Thai Curry Noodle:Upton’s take on the traditional Thai recipe Kaho Soi, this noodle dish is made with curry, seitan, winged beans and crunchy fried onions.

Thai Spaghetti: Green curry and tomato basil sauce make this a Thai riff on Italian pasta.

The products are not dehydrated, and are packaged in a retort pouch to maintain freshness (photo #4).

Upton’s Naturals’ Meal Kits are available at select Whole Foods Market locations, independent stores and natural food chains across the country for an SRP of $4.99 each.

She then created versatile, minimally-processed patties and sliders, and seasoned them global flavor combinations: herbs, purées, spices and vegetables.

The line was then frozen but the meats cook up quickly: “ready to nourish” in minutes.

Tribali fits with popular eating plans such as the Mediterranean/Greek diet, the Keto diet, the Paleo diet and the Real Foods diet.

But more importantly to us (we eat every diet) is that everything is very flavorful and nutrient-dense. We try a lot of prepared foods, and most of them are under-seasoned, requiring that we add condiments, salt or other flavor boosters.

Tribali is perfectly seasoned—so much so that we were taken by delightful surprise and immediately made them a Top Pick Of The Week.

GOOD CITIZENSHIP

Animal welfare is a priority for Tribali; the supply chain is transparent.

*Both of these flatbreads, of Indian origin, look similar. The difference: Roti is typically made from whole wheat flour and is cooked either on a tawa (a flat skillet) or in a tandoor, a cylindrical clay or metal oven. Naan is made from all-purpose white flour, is leavened with yeast, and then cooked in a tandoor.